The Council is recognized as one of the most effective lobbying organizations in the State. Through its successful government relations programs, the Council has many recent accomplishments:
- Successfully established agriculture "safe harbor" for meeting Total Maximum Daily Load goals through implementation of flexible Resource Management Plans
- Advocated for turfgrass professionals in promoting industry-driven legislation to reasonably establish phosphorus limits in certain lawn fertilizers and proactively implement mandatory nutrient management plans on golf courses
- Limited local government authority to regulate fertilizer use and application by farmers, lawn care professionals, and golf courses and created streamlined landowner based nutrient management planning
- Began the three-step process of enhancing the protection of private property rights in the State Constitution through the first passage of constitutional amendment legislation that will tighten the definition of "public use" with regard to eminent domain and ensure that private property cannot be taken without just compensation to the owner
- Voiced concerns of the industry over the proposed Virginia Cooperative Extension restructuring plan, ensuring that any new plan will be developed with consultation and participation of industry and local government
- Proactively protected both animal welfare and agricultural animal husbandry practices by creation of agricultural animal care standards based upon standard industry practices
- Assisted in establishing state-level protection of water quality improvement plans in lieu of unlawful and unnecessary federal actions
- Minimized impacts to certain contractors with the state who employ immigrant labor
- Provided leadership coordination of efforts of state agribusiness organizations to respond to water quality pressures, particularly within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
- Established new mechanisms to account for voluntarily implemented BMPs and new incentives for Agriculture BMPs through tax credit refunds and ensured that over $25 million is dedicated to the Agriculture BMP Cost-Share Program and Technical Assistance
- Enhanced mechanisms for working farmland and forestland to be permanently preserved, including attentional state funding
- Thwarted efforts to allow the sale of potentially hazardous food items with out minimal state inspection and oversight
- Ensured that agribusiness community will be a participant in a Permit Equity Study by DMV for overweight and over-sized vehicles
- Highlighted the diversity of Virginia's agribusiness industry through weekly sponsored gifts to legislators during the General Assembly
May 2011
|
|
|
|
